Flexible bracelet



Jan. 5, 1932. c. A. MEALY 1,840,047

FLEXIBLE BRACELET Filed Jan. '7, 1951 Patented Jan. V5, `1 932 PATENT ori-ice -cHARLEs A. MEALmor -wEsT BARRINGTON, RHODE'ISLAND, Assieiion To TEE RADLEY coMrANY,'INc., 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION or RHODE ISLAND FLEXIBLE BRACELET Application led January 7, 1931. Serial No. 507,165.4

This invention relates to bracelets for personal wear, and has for its principal'object the provision of a flexible bracelet in which'a n p ybinding members :forming part y,of the preseries ofparallel, transverse strips of thin wood or other vveneers are mounted upon a longitudinal band of fabric or other flexible Abac-king material with the opposite edges of the veneer strips preferably covered and protected by lbinding elements. Abracew let constructed lin accordance with `this invention may be yused as an ordinary wrist band or may be suitably connected to a wrist watch orother article of jewelry; and common forms of separable clasps oreXtensible connectors may be provided to permit the Y application of the bracelet to the `Wrist ofthe wearer e l' ,y

' By this simple and economical-inodeof manufacture, vaiioustypes of wood veneers, or thin and narrow` strips of other attractive and' ornamental materials may be combined with metal, leather and/or other v relatively .inexpensive fabrics to. produce a strong, du-

rable and comfortable bracelet of unique and pleasing appearance. ,The particular features ofthe improved bracelet are set forth in the following description of preferred species of the invention and are pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood i V3o. thatthe structural details of the article may bevaried; to suit particular purposes without departingjfrom the essence of the invention. n f 'A Y.

Recommended embodiments of the rinvention are illustrated in 'the accompanying drawings, in which: f f Q.

Fig; 1 is atop view of a portion of-a watch bracelet illustrating a preferred forni of` construction; f l Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom viewof the bracelet; i f v v Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of Y Fig. .tis afragmentary topview of a modi- Y jiied construction;

Fig..5a is a transverse section of Fig. 4c; and f y y Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the metal ferred construction, prior to its application to the bracelet.A

In the particular embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrationv in Figs. ly Jno3, the improved bracelet.l comprises ay flexible, longitudinal backing which assumes the'ten-` sile strain of the bracelet, a plurality of parallel, juxtaposed woodenstrips or veneers 7 mounted upon the backing, and a series 0f transverse metalstrips 8 extending across the bottoni of the backing and having their` 6U opposite en-ds folded kovertlie bracelet edges and crimped downwardly `upon the-end por* tions of the respective veneers, as at 9. The backing may be formed of any suitably strong and flexible kmaterial suchv as textile fabric, 05

leather, mesh or the like, and in the forni yshown consists of superposed fabric strips 10 and 11 which may be adhesively united if desired. e f

AThe `veneers 7 are preferably cemented orge otherwise secured to the upper face 10 vof the backing before the metal binders 8 are ap- .,plied, and it will be observed that these metal reinforcements not onlyl Aprovide a smooth,

rounded andV wear-resisting `edge. binding of.;l attractive appearance, but also assist in retaining the veneers in` assembled relation.

n The metal ends 9 preferably i'egisterfwith end portions of the respective veneers and the central orv bottom portions of the strips 8 are preferably cut awayattheir opposite sidesto .provide spacesvoropenings 12 attheunder side ofthe bracelet, thereby affording adequate flexibility of vthe completed structure.

.- It is thus apparent that the body of tlie bracelet, consisting of ythe flexible backing and the parallel transverse veneers, may be formed` as a unitary band or bracelet section,

and that theV metal .binding strips may be applied to kthe band by hand or by suitablevm machinery; and it will be understood that the backing may consist merely of a single strip of flexible sheet material or of the two or more lies, as desired; and that the veneers may narrow strips of bone, mother of pearl or other appropriate decorative subst-ances, as well as of wood.

A bracelet band thus constructed may be attached to a wrist watch 13 by means of a suitable connecting member 14, or may be associated with other articles of jewelry or equipped with appropriate clasps or connectors for securin g the band about the wrist of the wearer. Such accessoriesare, however, not essential to the present invention which` pertains exclusively to the improved construction of the'band section of the bracelet.

A modified construction falling within the purview of this invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein the bottom layer 15 of the backing consists of a. longitudinal piece of leather which is wider than the veneers 7 and the adjacent, primary backing strip 8 and which has its margins 16 folded over the ends of the veneers and secured by parallel lines of stitching 17 passing through c the hemmed edges of the leather, the end portions of the strips 7 and the backing. It 1s obvious that the intermediate backing piece 8 may be omitted in this formas well as in the revious embodiment, without materially weahening the structure; but this strip of fabric is preferably employed as a mounting strip to which the Veneers are adhesively affixed in proper relation before applying the remaininv elements to complete the bracelet band. Ifnce the leather strip 15 may constitute a binder which supplements or reinforces the backing strip 8; or it may serve as a unita backing member and edge binder, to which t e veneers are directly affixed.

A bracelet having a flexible band section or wrist-encircling portion constructed as above described is simple and economical to manufacture, yet furnishes an attractive, durable and comfortable article of jewelry whose outer exposed face has the rich and ornamental vappearance of a more costly bracelet. The relatively fragile or weak veneers are relieved of tensile strain by the backing strip and their end portions are protected against damage or wear by the edge binding which also affords a pleasing contrast of texture and color along the sides of the bracelet. As above indicated, the structural details of the bracelet may be modified for particular uses within the scope of thc appended claims.

claim:

1. A bracelet comprising a flexible backing, a series of narrow veneers mounted transversely upon the upper surface of the backing in parallel relation, and edge bindings covering the opposite ends ofthe veneers.

2. A bracelet comprising a longitudinal backing member of flexible material, a series of narrow veneers secured transversely upon the upper surface of the backing in para lel juxtaposed relation, and edge bindings folded over the opposite ends of the respective veneers and secured upon the outer faces thereof.

3. A bracelet comprising a longitudinal backing member of flexible material, a series of narrow veneers secured transversely upon the upper surface of the backing in parallel, juxtaposed relation, and bindin means extending across the bottom of the iacking and over the opposite ends of the res ctive veneers to reinforce the bracelet and fiirnish edge bindings at its opposite sides.

4. A bracelet comprising a longitudinal backing member of flexible material, a series of narrow veneers secured transversely upon the upper surface of the backing in parallel, juxtaposed relation, and individual metal binding strips extending across the bottom of the backing and folded over the opposite ends of each of the respective veneers.

5. A bracelet comprising a. longitudinal backing strip of textile fabric, a plurality of parallel, juxtaposed veneers cemented transversely upon the upper surface of the backing strip, and a series of transverse metal binding elements extending across the bottom of the backing and havln their end portions folded over the opposite ends of the respective veneers and upon the upper faces thereof.

6. A bracelet comprising a longitudinal backing strip of textile fabric, a plurality of parallel, juxtaposed veneers cemented transversely upon the upper surface of the backing strip, and a leather binding strip applied to the bottom of the backing and having its side margins folded over the opposite ends of the veneers and stitched to their up r faces.

7. A racelet comprising a longitudinal backing of textile fabric, a plurality of thin, narrow wooden strips cemented transversely upon the upper surface of said fabric in parallel, juxtaposed relation, and a series of transverse metal binding strips extending across the bottom of the backing and having their end portions folded over the opposite ends of the respective wooden strips and crimped upon the upper faces thereof, the folded portions of the metal strips substan tially kre istering with the end portions of the woo en strips respectively.

8. A bracelet comprising a longitudinal backing of textile fabric, a plurality of thin, narrow wooden strips cemented transversely upon the upper surface of said fabric in parallel, juxtaposed relation, and a series of transverse metal binding strips extending across the bottom of the backing and having their end portions folded over the opposite ends of the respective wooden strips and crimped upon the upper faces thereof, the folded portions of the meta-l strips substanially registering with the end portions of the Wooden strips respectively, and the bottorn portions of the metal binders being narrower than the ends thereof to provide trans Verse spaces between adjacent binders at the botto-In of the bracelet.

Signed by me at Providence, R. I., this 3rd day of January, 1931.

CHARLES A. MEALY. 

